31 comments:

Pretty powerful stuff, Karen. You use vivid images and simple language to capture the kind of moment I and other women have fairly frequently. The bit about clouds of crickets and ground and burrs makes a good painting. I wish the grass whispered to you something a little more...affirming? ...gutsy?...than simply that you are still okay, like "You are welcome" or "This is good" or... "Be still"...or "Karen, you're a damn fine poet..."

Never could get the reason for perpetual sweetness, kindness or goodness when there were people like Johnny Cash telling me to steal Cadillac parts from the line to build a car before I wound up in Folsom prison.

wow. this feels so right to me. seems we define ourselves too often by how others define us - and that can get so complicated and political - it's easy to get lost in it all. a fistfull of idleness - simplicity - take away every opinion, and then to still be ok - that is a powerful idea. i'll be rolling this one around in my head for a while.

being sweet, kind & good has so many advantages/ disadvantages, doesn't it? i recently went out into the tall weeds with my camera and instead of being covered with burrs i was covered in chigger bites, lol. i itched for days. now i'm battling a sore throat/ cold symptoms... in the summer!!!

sorry for my long absence. i've been busy with family, etc... have a great day.

Everyone - I am sorry not to respond to each individual comment, but it has been an unusual and trying week. My mother fell and broke her hip and had to have surgery. She is recovering well, but I'm afraid it will be a long haul at her age. Hopefully, all will be well.

Thanks for your kind comments on the poem. I'm surprised how many of you have said that you see something of yourselves in this. It makes me wonder, if we're all sweet and kind and good, where are the bad guys? ;-)

Please be polite!

Poetry Jam

imaginary gardens with real toads

C'est moi

Secret No More

...there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do -- determined to save the only life you could save." — Mary Oliver